1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a spinning reel for fishing which is capable of preventing entwining of a fishing line and damage caused from the fishing line.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hitherto, a bail and a bail support member for supporting the bail are joined to the arm of a rotor of a spinning reel for fishing. The bail support member incorporates a fishing-line guide portion and a fishing-line introducing portion having a bail attaching portion to which an end of the bail can be joined. The bail support member permits the bail to be rotated to the positions at which the fishing line is unreeled and reeled. The bail support member has the structure that the fishing-line introducing portion is disposed adjacent to the fishing-line guide portion. When the bail is rotated reversely, the fishing line can be guided to the fishing-line guide portion.
The foregoing structure has a stepped portion and a bent portion in the bail attaching portion between the bail and the fishing-line introducing portion according to the shape of the fishing-line introducing portion. Therefore, the fishing line picked by the bail when the bail is inverted is undesirably caught by the fishing-line introducing portion and a portion adjacent to the bail attaching portion. Thus, there arises a problem in that entwining of the fishing line occurs and damage is caused from the fishing line.
Therefore, a technique has been disclosed in, for example, Japanese Utility Model Unexamined Publication No. Hei.3-117462. According to the disclosure, the bail and the fishing-line introducing portion are formed integrally. Moreover, the fishing-line introducing portion is formed into a conical shape. Thus, any stepped portion of the bail attaching portion between the bail and the fishing-line introducing portion is not formed. Moreover, the bail attaching portion between the bail and the fishing-line introducing portion is disposed more adjacent to the reel body to prevent, for example, entwining of the fishing line (hereinafter called a "first conventional technique")
In Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. Hei.10-117644, a technique has been disclosed with which the fishing-line introducing portion is formed in such a manner that the distance between a region of the bail with which the fishing line is brought into contact and a region of the spool with which the fishing line is brought into contact is gradually shortened. Moreover, the fishing-line introducing portion is formed individually from the bail. In addition, the fishing-line introducing portion is formed into a conical shape, the diameter of which is gradually enlarged from the bail to the line roller. Thus, entwining of the fishing line and the like can be prevented (hereinafter called a "second conventional technique").
Further, another end of the bail is directly joined to the other one of the a pair of bail support members. A joint portion between the other bail support member and the other end of the bail extends in a direction perpendicular to a rotation and inversion axis of the a pair of bail support members as disclosed in, for example, Japanese Utility Model Unexamined Publication No. Hei.5-43865 (hereinafter called a "third conventional technique).
The first conventional technique arranged such that the bail and the fishing-line introducing portion are formed integrally, however, encounters a necessity of forming a too complicated shape. Therefore, there arises a problem in that the manufacturing process cannot be simplified and the manufacturing cost cannot be reduced.
The second conventional technique encounters formation of the stepped portion of the bail attaching portion between the bail and the fishing-line introducing portion. As a result, the fishing line is undesirably caught. Thus, there arises a problem in that entwining of the fishing line easily occurs and damage is frequently caused from the fishing line. What is worse, the bail must be bent when the bail is joined to the fishing-line introducing portion. Therefore, the bail cannot easily be formed. If the bail has the complicated shape, there arises a problem in that deformation of the bail support member caused from the stress exerted from the bail inhibits a smooth inversion operation of the bail.
Further, in the third conventional technique which discloses the joint portion between the other bail support member and the other end of the bail, the distance between a region of the spool with which the fishing line is brought into contact and a region of the bail with which the fishing line is brought into contact is gradually elongated in the direction in which the bail extends. Therefore, when the bail is inverted when the fishing line is wound, guiding of the fishing line picked by the bail positioned at the other position to the fishing-line guide portion of one of the bail support members is sometimes inhibited. If reeling of the fishing line is continued without any recognition of the foregoing state, there is apprehension that, for example, groove-shape damage of the bail occurs and the fishing line is broken. What is worse, deterioration in a state where the fishing line is wound sometimes causes backlash to occur when the fishing line is unreeled.